04.06.2021

Plunkett Cooney partner and Director of Diversity & Inclusion Laurel F. McGiffert was recently named to the Michigan Lawyers Weekly (MiLW) “Hall of Fame” Class of 2021.

McGiffert, along with 20 other attorneys, law school professors and judges, was selected as one of Michigan’s top legal leaders over the age of 60 based on career accomplishments, contributions to developing state law, involvement with the bar, promotion of the state, and efforts to improve the justice system.

On April 13, MiLW will host its 3rd annual Hall of Fame awards ceremony as a virtual online event. The honorees will also be profiled in a special supplement that will be inserted into an April issue of MiLW.

McGiffert has served as the firm’s first ever Director of Diversity & Inclusion since 2018. She is responsible for helping create a more diverse and inclusive workforce at Plunkett Cooney. These efforts include, but are not limited to, recruiting and hiring of more diverse candidates, and implementing strategies to retain our talented professionals and support staff. 

McGiffert, who graduated from Vassar College in 1970 and Wayne State University Law School in 1980, joined the firm in 1989 and became a partner in 1991. Prior to undertaking her current role, her practice included the defense of clients in civil litigation involving employment law, medical malpractice, general liability and municipal liability.

A member of the firm’s Medical Litigation, Employment Law and Governmental Law practice groups, McGiffert is active in various bar organizations, including the State Bar of Michigan, the American Board of Trial Advocates and the Wolverine, Detroit Metropolitan and Oakland County bar associations. She also serves as a member of the boards of directors for the Oakland Mediation Center and Power Company Kids Club.

McGiffert is the recipient of numerous accolades, including being named by MiLW to its 2015 class of Women in the Law, the 2017 Earl J. Cline/Sherwin Schreier Award for Excellence presented by the Negligence Law Section of the State Bar of Michigan and the 2012 Respected Advocate Award from the Michigan Association for Justice. She is an AV-preeminent rated attorney by Martindale-Hubbell, and she has been named for several years as a Best Lawyer in America, a Michigan Super Lawyer and a Dbusiness magazine Top Lawyer. Crain’s Detroit Business named McGiffert to its 2017 list of Michigan’s Notable Women in the Law.

Established in 1913, Plunkett Cooney is a leading provider of transactional and litigation services to clients in the private and public sectors. The firm employs approximately 150 attorneys in seven Michigan cities, Chicago, Illinois, Columbus, Ohio and Indianapolis, Indiana. Plunkett Cooney has achieved the highest rating (AV) awarded by Martindale-Hubbell, a leading, international directory of law firms. The firm has the distinction of being selected by Crain’s Detroit Business as its inaugural Law Firm of the Year.

For more information about Laurel McGiffert’s selection as a 2021 MiLW Hall of Fame member, contact the firm’s Director of Marketing & Business Development John Cornwell at (248) 901-4008 or via email at jcornwell@plunkettcooney.com.

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